Albany South Mall: Largest State Government Complex

Abstract: Among the nominees for the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award of 1976, the Albany Mall, consisting of 12 major structures, is here described with many photos and sketches. Most buildings are supported on steel H-piles driven through a 100-ft layer of clay into glacial till. Basement floor depths were limited as insurance against soil movement and damage to nearby buildings. Since these nearby existing buildings are supported on mat or spread footings, lowering of ground water would cause general area subsidence. Accordingly, a groundwater cutoff wall, made of sheet piles, was constructed around the construction site. The Agency Buildings are particularly noteworthy. The 19 upper floors are supported at the second-floor level by a 6-ft thick post-tensioned concrete carrying slab. This slab is cantilevered from a massive pier at the front and from the concrete core at the back. The core provides lateral and torsional strength as the building spine.